WEDALI Wins Checkpoint Tracker Championship

This past weekend one of the top adventure races in North America took place at the Land Between The Lakes in Kentucky, where the Checkpoint Tracker Championship went down. The 24-hour event featured a tough course that was more than 100 miles in length and offered a great mix of trekking, mountain biking and paddling.

More than 60 of the best adventure racing teams in the U.S. were on hand to compete, and in the end it was Team WEDALI (We Eat Dust And Like It) that took home the crown. From the sounds of things, they didn't just win the race however, they completely obliterated the competition and tore up a course that left other teams dazed and confused.

The Checkpoint Tracker blog promises more details on the race soon, including photos and video, but for now, I simply want to offer a big congratulations to WEDALI on a job well done.

The Mother Lode 4-Day Adventure Race Underway

Yesterday, the Mother Lode, a 4-day long adventure race, put on by Gold Rush AR, got underway in the Sierra Mountains of California. 16 coed teams set out on the course from Bridgeport and are now racing across more than 275 miles (442.5km) of tough mountainous terrain towards the finish line.

The race is a qualifier for the AR World Championship, which will take place in Tasmania in November, and has 200 points on the line for the Checkpoint Tracker race series as well. The Checkpoint Tracker Championship will take place in Kentucky in October, and a number of teams are still scrambling to qualify for that event as well.

You can track the standings and locations of teams online by clicking here and following updates on both Facebook and Twitter. At the moment, it appears that Dart-Nuun is in the lead, followed by Team Lupus Extreme and Tecnu Extreme/Staphaseptic in second and third respectively. Racing is expected to continue throughout the weekend, with winners being crowned on Sunday.

Thunder Rolls Adventure Race Report

This past weekend, the Thunder Rolls 2011 Adventure Race took place in my old stomping grounds, near Oregon, Illinois. The race is a 24-hour, 100 mile event that pulls in good teams from all over the Midwest, and is part of the Checkpoint Tracker Race Series. One of the teams competing in the event was Rock Racing and they've posted a fun race report, including photos and video, sharing details of their experience.

The real fun started Friday evening, when the teams had their pre-race meeting where they received their maps, passports, and instructions. What astounded me from this report was that they were told that there were 55 checkpoints to be located out on the course. That's an incredibly high number of CP's for a 24-hour race. I'm not sure we had that many in either of the two Primal Quest races that I was a part of. Anyone who has competed in an AR event will also tell you that means an awful lot of plotting points on the maps before you even start the race.

The race actually got underway at midnight, with teams rushing off into the dark, moonless night. The race report gives more details on what it was like out on the course, and it is a good read for beginning racers or those thinking about starting up in the sport. The video below also gives you an indication of what it is like to race at the Thunder Rolls, which looks like it is a good regional race and a perfect example of the often grassroots nature of adventure racing.

Thanks for sharing Chuck!

Early Registration For The Checkpoint Tracker Championship Ends Tonight

Adventure racers planning on competing in the Checkpoint Tracker Championship, to be held in western Kentucky this October, may want to get their registrations in today. Not only is the field for the event filling up very quickly, today is the final day to get the early registration discount.

The race is scheduled to take place on October 21 in the Land Between The Lakes and will feature a 100+ mile course designed to challenge the teams with plenty of mountain biking, trekking, paddling, and more. Currently, registration for the event is $250 per person, but after midnight tonight that price goes up to $275. That entry fee includes registration for the Championship, pre and post-race dinners, a limited edition Checkpoint Tracker Championship fleece, a Checkpoint Tracker hat, maps from MyTopo.com, and more.

If your team is looking for a great event to compete in this fall, than you should be strongly considering this race. Not only is the setting going to be a remarkable place to compete, but this will be one of the premiere races in North America for the remainder of the year. Most of the top teams in the country will be on hand, so it is a great place to test your skills, and above all else, it should simply be a fun weekend.

Hurry and register now before the price goes up at the end of the day.

Registration Now Open For Checkpoint Tracker National Championship

Registration for the 2011 Checkpoint Tracker National Championship is now open, allowing teams to sign-up for the event, which will be held October 21st of this year in the Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area in Kentucky. The race will be a 24-hour event that will pit the best adventure racing teams in North America against one another on course that is more than 100 miles in length.

As an incentive to register early, race organizers are giving away prizes to the first three teams to register and pay their entry fee. The first team to do so will receive limited edition Checkpoint Tracker jackets, Headsweats, and stickers. The second team will get Checkpoint Tracker arm warmers, a Brooks-Range UTM Plotter Pro, CPT stickers, and a 50% discount on any Tech4o watch. The third team to register earns Checkpoint Tracker t-shirts, the UTM Plotter, and stickers as well.

Entry fees are just $250/racer, which includes registration, pre- and post-race dinners, and plenty of swag. It also gives you the opportunity to compete in a great race, in a great setting, against some of the top adventure athletes in North America. The field is limited to 400 racers however, so be sure to get your entry in as soon as possible. To register for the event, click here.

Adventure Racing News

News from the world of adventure racing continues to roll in, as we march towards some big races that are yet to come this year. Like the Raid the North Extreme which will be held in British Columbia's West Kootney region at the end of July. Last week, organizers for the race announced a partnership with Canadian gear retailer Atmosphere, naming them their title sponsor for the event. The company will promote the race in their stores of course, as well as provide gear and contest prizes for racers and volunteers alike. The RTNX will cover more than 500km and is set to take place from July 23-31.

Congratulations are in order for the Thule Adventure Team, who claimed victory at the Le Grand Raid, held between Calais and Lille, France this past weekend. It is the second major victory for the team this year, who also took place at the Huairasinchi, Ecuador back in March. The Thule Adventure beat out second place Kiwi team Wilsa AFG and Buff Thermocool, who crossed the finish line in third place. 

Finally, the latest rankings for the Checkpoint Tracker Series have been released following a full weekend of racing that saw Team Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic win the Endorphin Fix in West Virginia. The race saw some top teams go head-to-head and served as a great tune-up the RTNX, which is now less than a month away.

Checkout the latest standings below as teams jockey for position heading into the Checkpoint Tracker National Championship in October. 

Checkpoint Tracker North American Rankings - Coed Elite Division
Rank	Team	Points
1st	Checkpoint Zero/Tech4o	470
2nd	Odyssey Adventure Racing-ImONPoint.org	430
3rd	Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic	406
4th	TeamSOG	389
5th	Mountain Khakis/Rev3 Adventure	386
6th	Florida Xtreme Adventure Racing Club	293
7th	WEDALI	280
8th	Goals ARA	266
9th	Green Paw Adventure Sports	212
10th	Big Mountain Adventure Racing	175
View Complete Rankings by Division

More Adventure Racing News

It seems that there has been a steady stream of adventure racing news of late, partly because the season is in full swing here in North America, where a number of races are preparing to challenge teams throughout the summer.

One of the most highly anticipated races is the Raid the North Extreme, which will take place July 23rd - 31st in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. That means the race is just over a month away, so you know that teams, volunteers, and organizers are gearing up for their event. The last time I posted an update on the race, it was to announce that it would be televised in both the U.S. and Canada later this year. At the time, it was announced that New Edge Entertainment would be taking charge of the production of the show, but they want to get the teams in on the act as well.

While New Edge crews will be on hand to film as much of the race as they can, they realize that it is difficult to capture all the amazing and dramatic moments of any adventure race. That's why they're also looking for any first-person footage, shot out on the course by teams competing in the event. They will accept highlights that are up to 30 minutes in length, but would like to know which teams could provide them with said footage before the race begins.

So, if you're competing at the RTNX and you're planning on strapping a helmet cam to your head, you may want to let them know. Contact Julie at New Edge asap if your team is interested at 778.297.7377 ext 117 or julie@newwedgeentertainment.com.


Also, it was announced today that registration for the second annual Checkpoint Tracker National Championship will open July 1st. Teams that are interested in competing in the October 21st event will want to sign-up as soon as possible, as the event is limited to just 300 racers, although the top ten teams in each division at the end of the season will get a guaranteed entry. The entry fee is $250/racer and this year's championship will be held in the Land Between the Lakes area of Kentucky.

Watch the Checkpoint Tracker website for more information and for the registration to go live.

Checkpoint Tracker Rankings (June 15 - 2011)

The 2011 Checkpoint Tracker adventure racing series continues to move ahead, with more events scheduled across the U.S. throughout the summer. Teams that participate in those events earn points on the Checkpoint Tracker leaderboard, with the best adventure racers earning an invite to compete in the North American Championship, which will take place in Kentucky this October.

Below are the latest ranking through June 15th, and as you can see the Checkpoint Zero/Tech4o team has a comfortable lead. There is a lot of racing yet to come this season however, and all of these teams are likely to take part in the championship later this year. For more information and to find out where you can race, go to CheckpointTracker.com.

Checkpoint Tracker North American Rankings - Coed Elite Division
Rank	Team	Points
1st	Checkpoint Zero/Tech4o	420
2nd	Odyssey Adventure Racing-ImONPoint.org	344
3rd	Mountain Khakis/Rev3 Adventure	318
4th	Florida Xtreme Adventure Racing Club	293
5th	WEDALI	280
6th	Goals ARA	266
7th	TeamSOG	225
8th	Green Paw Adventure Sports	212
9th	Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic	206
10th	Big Mountain Adventure Racing	168
View Complete Rankings by Division